LATHAM, N.Y. – An Army warrant officer who has been in uniform since 1978 and a private first class who has served just over a year joined forces to cut the Army birthday cake during the New York National Guard’s observance of the Army’s 246th birthday.
New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Sherman represented the history and traditions of the Army, while Pfc. Tyler Tomlin represented the Army’s future during the traditional cake-cutting ceremony.
They were joined by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jacqueline O'Keefe, the New York Army National Guard Command Chief Warrant Officer, who delivered the remarks during the ceremony.
In the past year, New York Army National Guard Soldiers have demonstrated their commitment to serving as home and overseas, O’Keefe said.
New York National Guard Soldiers have supported combat missions overseas, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic across New York, and deployed to Washington to secure the city in the wake of the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“New York Soldiers have met every challenge, tackled every mission, and have always lived up to the National Guard motto of 'Always Ready, Always There,’” O’Keefe said. “Remember that in a time of crisis, when our fellow citizens hear that the National Guard has been called, they know help is truly on the way. We’ve earned that genuine honor because of our Soldiers and their ability to get the job done - whatever it may be.”
New York Army National Guard Soldiers on duty in New York City at the state mass vaccination site at the Jacob Javits Convention Center also marked the Army’s 246th birthday with a cake-cutting ceremony.
Col. Michael Bice, the incident commander for the site, joined Pfc. Luke Storman and 1st Sgt. Damon Glover at the ceremony at Javits.
More than 600 New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are supporting operations at the convention center, where more than 600,000 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Tomlin, who enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in March 2020 and is a member of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, said it was an honor to represent the Army’s future during the ceremony.
“I feel really great about this. It gives me a chance to represent something larger than myself,” Tomlin said.
Sherman, a warrant officer recruiter in the New York Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion, has served in the military since 1978 and deployed twice to Afghanistan.
He was flattered to be approached to be in the June 14 ceremony.
“It is always an honor when you are given the opportunity to represent a great organization like the Army,” Sherman said.